13. Roxanne

Chapter 13

Roxanne

Truth

I rush through the dark passageways of the ship, my mind ablaze with thoughts after my intense conversation with Carndor on the bridge. I'm determined to unravel the truth, so I make a beeline for Astraxius' Lab. Despite his haughty demeanor, there is something about him which makes me believe he is a person I can confide in. But as I march towards his lab, doubts creep into my mind. What if all the Klendathians are heartless murderers, devoid of any empathy or compassion? Even Krogoth… am I wrong to trust him? Carndor's words linger in my head, stoking the flames of my doubts. The Klendathians are fierce warriors, ready to kill and conquer at a moment's notice, but the cold, ruthless demeanor Carndor displayed still shook me to the core. I need to find answers.

As I reach the lab, the door whooshes open, greeting me with a blinding burst of light. Panting heavily, I stumble into the room, my eyes scanning the bright laboratory for any sign of Astraxius. And there he is, sitting in his usual spot, hunched over his console with a steaming mug in his hand. Despite his drowsy appearance, the sight of the elderly white-haired Klendathian fills me with relief. His presence is like a beacon of familiarity in this sea of uncertainty, a balm for my frayed nerves.

Astraxius' eyes widen in surprise as I burst into the lab. His expression quickly morphs into one of concern as he takes in my disheveled appearance. With a comforting gesture, he moves towards me, his arms outstretched to offer solace.

"Gods, Rocks, what's happened? Is the ship under attack?" His voice is heavy with worry as he checks his wrist console for any signs of danger.

I pause for a moment, my breath ragged as I struggled to collect my thoughts. "No," I gasp. "It's Carndor. He said some…terrifying things to me. I needed to get away from him."

Astraxius' brow furrows in confusion. "What did he say, exactly?"

I recount the chilling words which had left me shaken to my core, feeling a shiver run down my spine as I relived the moment. "He said he has no memory of being a child, that he relishes the fear in the eyes of the helpless as he slaughtered them," I murmur, my voice barely above a whisper. "The maniacal gleam in his eyes… It was like some kind of demon possessed him. I was afraid that in his madness he could attack me."

Astraxius stands there, his eyes full of concern and sympathy, shaking his head. "I'm truly sorry, Rocks," he says softly. "This wasn't supposed to happen. If things had gone differently, we would have been nearing Klendathor by now, without ever putting you in danger."

"I just want to know what's going on, Astraxius!" My frustrated words burst out of me with an intensity that surprises me.

For a moment, the Klendathian scientist stands still, lost in thought, his hand resting thoughtfully on his chin. His eyes scan the ground as if searching for the right words.

Finally, he turns to me with a solemn expression and speaks. "You deserve to know the truth, God's Rocks. There's a terrible secret that's been hidden from us for far too long."

My heart quickens as I wait for him to continue.

"Concerning the last generations of warriors that were brought to Klendathor… they are clones." He pauses, taking a deep breath before adding, "Genetically engineered replicas of the original warriors, created to serve as soldiers for the Scythian army."

My mind reels as I try to process the implications. Krogoth seems young, not as young as the others with the short hair. My stomach feels as though it is sinking into the ground as I mutter, "I don't understand. Does that mean… all of you are clones? Even Krogoth?"

Astraxius chuckles, his shoulders shaking with mirth. "Gods, no! I'm far too old." He pauses for a moment, his expression turning serious. "Krogoth and Xandor are amongst the youngest born from the last natural generation. Before the Scythian traitors took our females and our future with them."

Krogoth is not a clone . That is a relief, at least. But I wonder what is really going on with Carndor. Even if he is a clone, then what makes him so different? My mind races with questions and doubts, and I can't resist asking Astraxius, "What does being a clone have to do with being a murderous lunatic? I mean, it doesn't explain what's wrong with Carndor, does it? Unless he's a clone of a psycho!" My voice is filled with incredulity as I struggle to make sense of it all.

Astraxius takes a deep breath, his eyes filled with pain. "You are correct, Rocks. Normal clones should not and do not exhibit such extreme behaviors. In the beginning, the Scythians would deliver normal, natural born Klendathians, so young they could barely walk. Every decade or so they'd deliver to us another group. The numbers usually depended on how many wars they needed us for." He pauses, taking a deep breath. "However, that all changed when the Scythians started leaving older boys close to adulthood instead. I immediately became suspicious and started running genetic tests on them. They were all clones, from many originals."

Tears well up in Astraxius's eyes, and I rush over to console him. He continues, his voice shaking with emotion. "That's how I know the Scythians have killed our females. They're all gone, no longer useful to those disgusting, depraved murderers. I will see them all dead for what they've done to us," he says passionately, his anger deep.

Astraxius goes on. "Sadly, that wasn't the last insult to be brought. We noticed that the most recent generations are acting strangely. They seemed unemotional, unmoved by anything… Except fighting, but especially killing. They seem to revel in it. My greatest horrors were realized after I performed scans on many of them to see that their genetic makeup has been tampered with. They repressed the parts of the brain that exhibit empathy, compassion and other social functions while heightening aggression and anger. The ultimate plan for my people to be nothing more than brutal unthinking killers for the Scythians," he finishes, sounding resigned to his fate.

Astraxius wipes his eyes, suddenly embarrassed. "My apologies, Rocks, you came to me looking for comfort. Now look at us," he says, smiling softly.

As I listen to Astraxius's heart breaking tale, I feel sorrow for him and the rest of the Klendathians. But at least there is a relief in knowing that Krogoth is not a potential monster like Carndor.

My confidence in my decision to go back to Earth, well, it certainly should be easier to turn my back on the Klendathians with Candor's and Astraxius' admissions. I have been wondering what it might be like on Krogoth's planet of Klendathor. What adventures and life could I build there? Even with him there to guide me and keep me safe, it seems too strange, too fantastical to consider seriously. I like the simple life and moving to another planet is not that! Now with the knowledge the young Klendathians are murdering psychopaths… Well, that is a bullet dodged.

I wonder if I can convince Krogoth to leave all this behind and come live with me on Earth ? A comical image of his massive limbs sticking out of my bed flashes across my mind, making me chuckle. Although, I know his heart is in saving his own people, he would never leave them behind. No, I'm making the right decision returning to Earth. I ignore the sharp pang of pain that shoots through me as I think about leaving Krogoth. Deep down, I know I'm lying to myself, but it's easier than facing the truth. "Thank you, Astraxius. I know it's not easy to talk about," I say, giving him a heartfelt hug.

Astraxius stands up, looking a bit flustered. "Oh. It's not something we speak of very often. I think it's best you avoid being alone with the young warriors for now. It's my hope with my research to reverse the effects on them one day." He smiles kindly at me. "Fear not, Rocks. You're safe with Krogoth. He is a normal Klendathian… Well, as normal as can be expected for a High Chieftain."

Just as I'm about to reply to Astraxius, our wrist consoles beep in unison, startling us both. A security notification pops up on the display, and my eyes widen at the sight of the strange, insectoid aliens on the screen. They have thin spindly limbs, four legs, and six arms, with a flat, narrow head topped by two large antennae. It is surreal seeing such an unusual species, unlike anything I have ever seen before.

"What… Who are they?" I ask, my face filled with concern.

"Ah, they are Glaseroids. A curious species, to be sure," Astraxius replies, scratching his head.

As I glance back at my console, I notice the Glaseroids seem to point towards some containers. "Could that be the arcweave or Elerium?" I mutter.

"We should go meet them," Astraxius says, already moving towards the door. "I'll notify the others. We'll meet at the docking hatch."

As we hurry towards the hatch, I can't help but feel a sense of excitement mixed with fear. It's almost unbelievable I'm about to encounter another alien species, even if they resemble giant bugs.

Astraxius and I arrive at the docking hatch last as the other six Klendathian warriors stand guard, looking like giants given their enormous statue equipped in their full armor. I instinctively move to the other side of the hatch door to avoid being too close to them. I absentmindedly start biting my nails before I realize and stop it. Terrible habit.

Astraxius notices my unease. "Don't worry. They won't try anything with the others here, but just in case, you run and hide in my lab. Ok?" he says, his voice calm but firm, trying to ease my nerves.

I nod, feeling a knot form in my stomach. As he activates the door with his wrist console, I hold my breath, anticipating the unknown. The sound of screeching metal echoes through the room as the door slowly creaks open.

The Glaseroids swarm about at the ramp of the ship, and I can't help but feel on edge. One of them, with gold-tipped antennae, steps forward defensively, holding up his arms. "Don't shoot! Krogoth sent us," he says, before turning to pat some mysterious containers with his many arms. "This here is arcweave. We made a deal to repair the holes in your hull, yes?"

Astraxius eyes them suspiciously, and I can tell he's not convinced. "What's the nature of this deal?" he asks.

The Glaseroid quickly interjects, his spindly limbs twitching incessantly. "With respect, negotiations are finalized. I'm Yaksai, leader of the Psykes. I own the greatest fleet on Terminus Exile Station," he chuckles. "Never seen a Scythian battlebarge up close before… Could do a lot of damage with one of these, yes, you could," he exclaims, his bug eyes darting over the contours of the ship.

Astraxius maintains a skeptical expression. "I do not trust you. We'll find another way to repair our ship."

Yaksai's smile twists into a menacing grin. "Wise to not trust. Yes, never trust on Terminus Exile Station." The Glaseroid's spindly limbs twitch with excitement as he continues, "But we are the only ones who can repair your ship." He turns to the looming, six armored Klendathian warriors, gesturing with his many limbs. "You watch us work. You need not fear with such fearsome warriors overseeing, yes?"

My gut clenches with uncertainty as I stare at the strange group before me. I know I shouldn't trust them, but they claim to be the only ones capable of fixing our ship, and Krogoth had sent them.

"Astraxius, I don't like that they won't give us any details," I say, voicing my concerns.

Suddenly, Yaksai's spindly legs twitch with excitement. He bounces closer to the ramp, his bug-like eyes scanning my body. My skin crawls as I take a step back behind Astraxius. "What is that?" he exclaims, pointing a multi-jointed appendage at me. "So many exotic things, yes."

I can feel his gaze roving over me, analyzing every inch of my being. "I've never seen such a creature before. Where do you come from?" he asks, tilting his strange head inquisitively.

My nerves are on edge as I admit, "I'm from Earth."

Yaksai strokes his chin thoughtfully, his eyes studying me intently. "Earth? Never heard of it. Very rare indeed, yes," he murmurs, lost in thought.

Astraxius interjects sternly, breaking Yaksai's gaze. "Never mind your wandering eye, Glaseroid," he snaps. "Fine, you can do the repairs. But know that we'll be watching you in case you try anything untoward."

"You make right choice, old Klendathian. My Psykes will have this ship fixed quickly, yes, we will." I notice him side eyeing me as he turns around to walk off, sending a shiver down my spine as he whispers to his fellow bug people.

Astraxius nods to the young warriors briefly. "Watch them like an arrohawk," he instructs. "Hopefully, Krogoth and the others will return soon. Rocks, I think you should stay with me in the meantime until this business is done."

I nod in agreement, feeling very uneasy about the situation. I'm relying on Krogoth more than ever, and his absence leaves me vulnerable and alone in this vast universe. "Please be okay out there, Krogoth,"I whisper under my breath, longing for his touch and his comforting presence.